Strategy@HEC Paris

The courses are open to everyone. There is no selection process. However, like all HEC Paris programmes, they are held to a high academic standard and require a strong level of commitment and intellectual rigour.

Beyond the qualification itself, the value of your course depends largely on your personal motivation, your curiosity and the effort you put into your learning journey.

Have access to a computer (PC or Mac) with an internet connection.

This teaching approach is based on three pillars, which will be covered throughout the certificate course:

• Active learning: a mix of conceptual explanations, practical examples and learner participation (comprehension quizzes, case studies, etc.) requiring a high level of engagement throughout the course;
• Practical application of learning: trainers share their experience and offer practical advice on how to put the concepts described in the various modules into practice;
• Competency-based learning: numerous concepts and tools drawn directly from the business world feature throughout the programme, delivered by the trainers and underpinned by their expertise.

This programme will help you develop a broader perspective and vision when faced with complex, often ambiguous problems and strategic decisions, through the practical development of analytical skills.

The videos are in English (with French subtitles) but the case studies must be submitted in French. The language of instruction throughout the programme is French.

• To register, click on the ‘Register’ button and complete the two questionnaires
• The course will start in the next session shown at the top of the page

The Business Strategy course will help you understand why, within a given industry, some firms are more profitable than others. What are the factors behind their success? What are the sources of competitive advantage? Learn how to identify strengths and challenges and how to define a strategy in seven key steps!

Introduction

• Key strategic issues
• The Objective and Aims of Business Strategy
• Key dates in the history of strategy as a management discipline
• SWOT

Industry Analysis

• Sector-specific determinants of strategy
• Porter’s Five Forces
• Types of industry
• The PESTEL model

The value chain

• Definition
• One… or two industries: the example of soft drinks

Corporate strategies

• Generic strategies
• Cost and volume strategies
• Differentiation strategies
• Experience curve

What is competitive advantage?

• Costs and perceived value

Competitive dynamics

• The first-mover advantage
• Game theory
• Sources of information on competition

The firm’s strategic resources

• Resources and capabilities
• The resources that underpin competitive advantage

Innovation strategies

• An Introduction to Innovation Strategies
• Business Model Innovation
• Business Model Innovation: The Value Curve
• Methods for Stimulating Creativity
• Multifaceted platforms
• Usage-based business models
• The challenges of innovation strategies

• Multiple-choice questions
• 2 case studies

Having identified the sources of competitive advantage and value creation for a company or sector, this second module focuses on corporate strategy to address the question: how can a company achieve profitable growth? Vertical integration, diversification and geographical expansion are different options for growth. Alliances, mergers and acquisitions, and organic growth are ways of achieving these strategies.

Global competition and international strategy

• Global and Multi-domestic Industries
• Adaptation versus economies of scale
• Concentration versus dispersion
• Strategies in emerging economies

Diversification and refocusing

• The pursuit of synergies
• The costs of diversification and the conglomerate discount
• Scope economies and shared resources

Mergers and acquisitions

• Major M&A cycles
• Acquisition premium
• The challenges of integration
• Asset disposals and refocusing

Strategic alliances and cooperation

• Types of alliances
• Co-opetition
• Conflicts between allies
• Networks

• Multiple-choice questions
• 2 case studies

There is no such thing as a good strategy without effective implementation.

This course helps participants identify the courses of action and levers needed to implement the strategic roadmap. It examines the key role of people in any strategy implementation through: organisational systems, the role of corporate culture and leadership, change management, and decision-making processes.

Strategic alignment through structure and processes

• The dimensions of organisational structure
• The main types of structure
• Strategy-structure alignment
• From Hierarchy to Networks
• Management systems
• Decision-making processes

Understanding and managing the hidden side of organisations

• Corporate culture
• Organisational identity
• Leadership and power

Driving change

• Combining ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ approaches
• Different ways of approaching change
• Implementing change
• Drawing up an action plan

The requirements for obtaining the Stratégie@HEC Paris certificate are as follows: